Acupuncture: Therapy for Arthritis Pain

Therapy for Pain

Acupuncture is a safe and effective method to treat people with arthritis pain.  Each session helps stimulate the flow of endorphins because it enables the central nervous system to block pain throughout the body.  Acupuncture is a popular alternative treatment to medication, as it allows people to decrease their intake of pain pills or steroids.  Many people will build up a tolerance to pain medication and doctors will have to increase the dosage.  However, this does not occur with acupuncture, and physicians can examine the patient right away to determine if more treatment is necessary.  Although acupuncture is not a panacea, it is effective in treating other conditions such as headaches, lower back and neck pains, or muscle pain.  It is important that all patients with arthritis ask their doctor about receiving acupuncture treatment before undergoing a session.  Health care providers may recommend other treatment that may work better for the patient such as physical therapy.  Acupuncture is safe and patients rarely encounter problems as specialists are specifically trained and well educated in their field. 

Acupuncture Treatment

The number of treatments a patient receives depends on their condition and their body’s reaction to each session.  Typically, many patients need to attend several acupuncture sessions to feel improvement.  One session does not usually provide long term pain relief.  Many patients will need to undergo 2 sessions a week for 4-6 weeks to experience full pain relief.  Many acupuncturists recommend at least 10 sessions to ensure decreased pain or muscle tension.  After treatment, the patient may feel very relaxed and it is recommended that someone drive him/her home.  After receiving treatment, the individual should take it easy to allow the body to resume back to normal.  If the patient has prescribed medication, he/she should continue to take it on a normal schedule.